Sealing structure



y 4, 1954 R. H. MUELLER ETAL 77,561

SEALING STRUCTURE Original Filed Dec. 27, 1946 H FIG. I.

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74 I04 r I34 H5 us '8 Inventors ROBERT H. MUELLER Attorneys Patented May 4, 1954 SEALING STRUCTURE Robert H. Mueller, Decatur, Ill., and Earl E. Cline, Chattanooga, Tenn., assignors to Mueller 00., Decatur, 111., a corporation of Illinois Original application December 27, 1946, Serial N 0.

718,752. Divided and this application November 12, 1948, Serial No. 59,482

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to sealing means of general utility for use in association with a member which enters an enclosure subject to the presence of fluid therein. This application is a division of our copending application, Serial No. 718,752, filed December 27, 1946, now U. S. Patent No. 2,575,631, issued November 2'7, 1951. The copending application discloses the bearing which is the subject of the present application in association with the movable shaft or stem of a fire hydrant valve, but it will be understood that the bearing is of more general utility as will be apparent from the specification.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved packing arrangement for the valve stem and operating nut of a hydrant, consisting of packing elements of diiierent characteristics cooperating with one another. This packing is substantially self-tightening in its action around the valve stem and its operating nut. The packing includes a resilient packing section of rubber or the like, which, while placed under compression in order that sealing energy may thereby be stored in the packing itself, is so protected by a sleeve or ferrule as to be substantially immune from tear or excessive wear by reason of contact with the moving valve stem, or parts associated therewith. The packing is so'positioned and arranged in a chamber around the stem or other moving part that certain elements of the packing maintain a tight seal with the stem or the like, while other packing elements maintain a seal with the wall of the packing chamber. The construction is such that pressure entering the packing chamber tends to increase both of the sealing actions just referred to. In connection with the above, it will be understood that while we disclose preferred packing arrangements for these purposes, the packing arrangements disclosed have inherent advantages aside from the particular combinations in which they are dis closed. The bearings disclosed herein are used in association with a lubricant reservoir around the shaft which is being sealed off. The construction is such as will eflectively preserve the lubricant in the reservoir packed off at top and bottom as described herein over a period of years without refilling, the particular packings and the double arrangement thereof preventing the foreing of the lubricant from its chamber, by the water which passes through the hydrant.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a vertical sectional View through the top part of the fire hydrant showing the application of the invention to the valve operating shaft or stem of the hydrant.

Figure 2 is a partial enlarged vertical sectional view of the bearing which seals oif the lower part of the oil reservoir.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken. along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a partial enlarged vertical sectional view through the upper part of the oil reservoir showing the upper bearing where it seals around. the operating nut for the valve shaft or stem.

In Figure l, the substantially cylindrical hy-- drant barrel is shown at B, and it has a bonnet or hood H at its upper end. As is Well-known in the art, the hydrant has a vertical valve operating stem S which operates a valve not shown in order to control the discharge of water from theside outlets or nozzles O.

The mechanism for operating the valve stemand at the same time providing for lubricating the working parts thereof will now be described.

The upper barrel section It has a circular top inwardly directed flange 62 with defining central opening 64 and has oppositely disposing guide notches 66. Into this opening an upwardly ex-- tending cylindrical section 68 of an oil reservoir member R. is inserted. There are keys 69 carried on the oil reservoir member which enter the notches 66 to properly register the member and hold it against rotation.

In general, the oil reservoir member includes means to provide one or more seals around the valve stem or its operating nut, with a chamber comprising upper and lower sections to retain a lubricant around the working parts. The oil reservoir has an outwardly extending circular flange 12 positioned beneath the flange $2 of the barrel. A nut 16 is threaded onto the extending cylindrical portion 63 of the reservoir to engage the top of the flange (52, thus holding the assembled parts in the top of the hydrant barrel.

A lower end of the reservoir R provides a suitable recess for packing for the valve stem below its operating threads. The packing recess is defined by a smooth bore between an interior circular collar 18 which embraces a round portion of the shaft it in a non-binding manner, and a gland nut which is threaded into the lower end of the reservoir. The gland nut is preferably made of non-ferrous metal. Between gland St and collar 18, there is an annular rubber washer and several annular layers of compressible packing material made of flax, as shown at 92, there being a non-ferrous metal washer 94 beneath the flax layers which has an inwardly and.

downwardly tapered top wall 96 whereby, when the nut 80 is tightened, the pressure exerted on the flax layers is directed inwardly toward the valve stem. It will be understood that upon compressing the flax packing, a compression will be exerted upon the rubber washer 90, and this force'is stored in the packing assembly and is constantly present to resist any pressure of the fluid acting upwardly from the interior of the barrel around the valve stem. As shown in Figure 2, there may be a ferrule liner 98 of such metal as brass, lining the interior of the rubber washer 90, and the top of this ferrule may be flanged outwardly as at 00 in order to provide end support for the washer 90 and keep it from tearing when the valve stem is moved vertically through the packing. Particularly, this ferrule will prevent the rubber 90 from being squeezed upwardly into the slight space between the valve stem and the inner face of the collar 18. The rubber sleeve 99 seals the outside wall of the packing recess against leakage, while the layers of flax 92 seal the valve stem against leakage.

When such a packing is in use, any pressure from below entering the packing chamber will pass outwardly of the flax rings 52 and will exert an inward pressure thereon which will tighten the seal against the stem. Similarly, this pressure acting upwardly on the rubber ring will have the eifect of tightening its seal against the outer wall of the packing chamber. The soft rubber ring places an even resilient thrust on the flax, thus automatically taking up wear. The rubber ring keeps the packing tight by applying force in an axial direction, and this force acts in the flax inwardly toward the valve stem, particularly adjacent to the shoulder 96.

Turning again to Figure 1, the upper extension 68 of the reservoir is provided with an inside annular smooth bore Hi3 having a bottom tapered surface I04, and in this bore there are several circular layers of flax I86 in ring-like form and a circular rubber washer I98 as more clearly shown in Figure 4. Mounted on the annular ledge i Ii) upon the interior of the reservoir body below the taper I04, there is a valve stem operating nut II2, the outer wall of said nut being sealed by the packing means I66 and I08. The operating nut has an outwardly extending flange [I3 limited by upper and lower shoulders I I4 and I I5 which respectively engage the nut I6 and the shoulder Ill) to retain said nut against longitudinal movement while it is being turned to open and close the main valve. The interior of said nut is hollow, and it has a lower cylindrical threaded tube I I6 which engages the conventional threads on the upper end it of the valve stem, so that upon turning said nut, the valve stem is caused to rise and fall in order to close and open the main valve of the hydrant. There is a nonferrous metal ring. H8 in the upper end of the packing recess, and it bears against the rubber washer EH8 (Figure 4). This ring is pressed against the packing by tightening the securing nut 16, the top flange I20 of the latter serving to retain the operating nut and packing in position as shown. The head of the operating nut comprises a dome-like structure I22 square or otherwise polygonal in cross section and this portion fits within a socket 524 (likewise square in section) of the operating head or nut I26, the

latter including the usual wrench portions and a.

skirt I28 which protects the whole assembly from the weather. The wrench head I26 may be bolted to the top of the operating nut I22 as by a bolt I30. There may be an Alemite fitting or similar device I32 fitted in the wall of the operating nut, in order to pump lubricant into the in terior of the reservoir to lubricate all of the parts thereof, including the screw threads of the op-- erating stem. Such a device would include a one-way valve to retain the lubricant in the reservoir. The ledge I I0 between the reservoir member and the operating nut may likewise be lubricated by one or more radially extending passages I34 from the interior of the operating nut to the surface I I0 which supports the flange of the reservoir member.

From the above, it will be apparent that I have provided an assembly in which a reservoir of oil or other lubricant is constantly retained around the upper operating end of a valve stem. The arrangement rovides not only for lubrication of the valve stem where it passes into the reservoir member, but also where the operating nut turns within said member. Both of these packings are of compression storing type, and pressure exerted upwardly on the packing from the hydrant only serves to tighten the seal of the packing.

It will be understood that both of the pack-- ings described will operate in substantially the same manner. That is, upwardly exerted fluid pressure from the hydrant will act from around the outside of the flax packing to further tighten same against the valve stem, while the rubber packing will maintain a seal against the outer wall of the packing chamber. The compressed rubber will in itself tend to maintain the seal exerted by the rings against the stem. By reason of the double packing arrangement provided, at opposite ends of the reservoir, the hydrant pressure cannot displace the oil from the reservoir even if it should penetrate the lower seal, because of the presence of the upper seal, as described.

While I have disclosed the packing used for such as the rings 92 as being made of flax, it will be understood that other suitable compressible material could be used.

We claim:

1. Sealing means for a member which enters an enclosure subject to the presence of fluid under pressure, comprising a bearing equipped with a packing recess whose side wall is smooth and spaced from said member, said bearing comprising an annular resilient ring in said recess of rubber or the like capable of being compressed to store an expansible force therein, said resilient ring having a central opening to surround the member and being in contact with the side wall of said recess, a separate sleeve of soft metal comprisin a continuous skirt which entirely lines the central opening of said resilient ring surrounding the member, at least one ring of non-resilient fibrous compressible packing material in said recess in contact with said resilient ring and with said member, said resilient ring being located in said recess at the low pressure end of the bearing with respect to the enclosure, and a packing follower adjustably mounted on the bearing for application of pressure to said packing longitudinally of said member to store expansible energy in said resilient ring whereby it will. constantly exert force to compress said non-resilient packing material against said memher.

2. A construction in accordance with claim 1, wherein said packer follower is mounted on the high pressure end of said bearing.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the metal sleeve has an integral flange which extends outwardly toward the side wall of the recess to support that end of the rubber ring remote from the non-resilient packing material.

4. Sealing means for a member which enters an enclosure subject to the presence of fluid under pressure, comprising a bearing having a packing recess whose side wall is smooth and spaced from said member, said recess having end walls, one of which is movable longitudinally of said member by a gland adjustably mounted on the bearing, the end wall of said recess toward the pressure side of the bearing being tapered inwardly toward said member, at least one ring of flax packing in said recess bearing against said tapered end wall and snugly embracing said members an annular resilient ring of rubber or the like positioned between said flax ring and the opposite end wall of said recess and provided with an interior shield of soft metal surrounding said member, said resilient ring being capable of compression to store an expansible force therein, said ring of flax packing being positioned in said recess to permit fluid pressure from the enclosure to enter said recess outwardly of said flax packing to exert an inward force thereon for sealing engagement against said member, said resilient ring and said flax packing being compressed by said gland to expand said resilient ring outwardly to seal against the side wall of said recess and to store expansible energy in said resilient ring whereby it constantly exerts force to compress said fiax packing against said member.

5. In apparatus of the character described, an enclosure for containing fluid under pressure therein, a shaft which enters said enclosure and which is mounted for movement therein, a bearing for said shaft attached to said enclosure and which surrounds said shaft at the point where it enters said enclosure, said bearing comprising a housing having a smooth inner side wall spaced from said shaft to provide a packing chamber surrounding said shaft, said housing having a fixed end wall and an opposed axially adjustable pressure applying end wall with openings therein whereby said shaft may pass through said chamber, and packing means within and filling said chamber around said shaft, said packing means comprising at least one ring of relatively non-resilient compressible fibrous packing material disposed against said end wall adjacent to the interior of said enclosure and a resilient ring of rubber or the like which fills the remainder of said chamber and disposed against said end wall remote from the interior of said enclosure, said rubber ring being of diameter to seal against the inner wall of said chamber and to store axially expanding force applied thereto by said adjustable end wall and to continuously apply such force to said non-resilient packing material to seal the latter against said shaft, the central bore and the end face of said rubber ring which is presented to said remote end wall being lined with a thin soft metal shield and said adjacent end wall being inclined to press said non-resilient packing inwardly toward said shaft providing for fluid under pressure from said enclosure to enter said chamber outwardly of said non-resilient packing and urge the latter inwardly toward said shaft.

6. A bearing comprising a metal housing surrounding a shaft having a smooth inner side wall spaced from the shaft to rovide a packing chamber surrounding the shaft, said housing having a fixed end wall and an opposed axially adjustable pressure applying end wall with openings therein whereby the shaft may pass through said chamber, and packing means within and filling said chamber around the shaft, said packing means comprising at least one ring of relatively non-resilient compressible fibrous packing material against one of said end walls and a resilient ring of rubber or the like which fills the remainder of said chamber between said nonresilient packing ring and the opposite end wall of said chamber, said rubber ring being of diameter to seal against the inner wall of said chamber and to store pressure applied thereto by said adjustable end wall and to continuously exert pressure on said non-resilient packing material to seal the latter against said shaft, said end Wall adjacent said non-resilient packing material being formed to taper inwardly toward the shaft to direct pressure applied to said non-resilient packing inwardly toward the shaft, said rubber ring being provided with a liner of thin, soft metal comprising an uninterrupted continuous skirt which extends throughout the entire length of said rubber ring to protect the latter against injury from movements of the shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 77,275 Glanding Apr. 28, 1868 210,868 Martin Dec. 17, 1878 242,133 Jenkins May 31, 1881 494,716 Grimm Apr. 4, 1893 1,595,401 Humason Aug. 10, 1926 1,679,324 Murray July 31, 1928 1,736,646 Brammer Nov. 19, 1929 2,310,558 Teeters et a1 Feb. 9, 1943 2,388,710 Sanford Nov. 13, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 260,347 Great Britain of 1926 

